Wednesday, June 15, 2011

1977 larry hisle

although the same photo was used, o-pee-chee went for the tighter crop, and they slightly rotated it as well. they also moved his facsimilie autograph down to the bottom left corner. hisle had been acquired by the dodgers after the 1971 season, but then they went out and picked up frank robinson so hisle spent the entire 1972 season in the minors. they wound up trading him to saint louis in october of 1972, and the cards flipped him to the twins shortly thereafter. if hisle had been given a chance in la and had performed as he did for the twins, i wonder if the dodgers would have still acquired dusty baker?

anyway, 1977 was hisle's last season with the twins, and he led the al in rbi as a parting gift to the great state of minnesota. hisle didn't get the team variation treatment in the 1978 set since topps went ahead and airbrushed him into a brewers cap, but they at least left him as a twin on the league leader card.